Wednesday, July 16, 2014

To Clarify...

Poor Aby and Cory and everyone over at the Skulduggery Facebook page. They've been hit with a barrage of questions about the Requiem Ball and they've been so great about it, but I finally felt sorry for them and decided to clear up a few things here.

Let's see now, what kind of questions have they had to deal with...?

"Why is the Requiem Ball in London? Derek's from Ireland. The books are set in Ireland. HELLO??"

This is absolutely true. However, in Ireland we have the Theatre of Shadows. In London we have the Requiem Ball. That's just the way it is.

"The Facebook page has a competition to send them a picture of the mask we'd wear to the Ball! Do we have to make it or just design it?"

Either. If you win tickets you'll need to be wearing a mask — one you make or one you buy, it doesn't matter — but for the competition you just have to design it yourself. And the mask can be as simple or as ornate as you like — as practical or as bizarre. It can cover your whole face or part of your face. You can buy a mask and alter it. It's up to you. You don't even have to be artistic — you just need to be passionate. The deadline is August 10th and there's only one entry per person.

"How many tickets do we get if we win?"

Everyone who wins gets two tickets — but those under the age of 18 can get an extra ticket for a parent/guardian.

"I can't make it to London for the Ball! But can I enter anyway, just for the Event Pack?"

Yup. There'll be lots of you in this particular boat — not only in Ireland and the UK but also all around the world — so don't be afraid to enter.

"It's not fair that all the events are always in Ireland and the UK."

Actually, it's pretty fair when you think about it. Harper Collins UK publish me in Ireland and the UK, so naturally they can only organise events for their own territories. They've been wonderful, actually, in doing their best to include as many people as possible. I hate leaving anyone out, I'd love every competition to be open to everyone and for every country to have cool stuff happening, but that's up to the many publishers who release my books across the world — and there are close to 40 of them.

"How many individual tickets are there?"

Approximately 120.

"Would we have to make our own way there?"

Yep!

"Is there any age limit?"

No upper age limit, but anyone under 18 would need a parent or guardian to accompany them.

There will be other opportunities to win tickets — the Facebook mask competition is merely the first — and it's a pretty cool one.

Eh, guests never stay for long.*looks around at the sad little hotel*I can't imagine why.*sets the glass on the coffee table with a shaking hand*. . . But I have friends, though. A couple. Like you, and like Adra, I suppose.

*looks across at Trip*Well, if you need anyone to talk to, the Midnight Hotel is always open to you. I quite like talking to you. Sometimes.*stares at the empty glass on the coffee table*We're more alike than I once thought.. . . Or maybe we're not. I don't know.I'm a little drunk, truth be told.*hic*

*cue the horrible Doctor Who puns**actually, don't, because I shall now poof*Geronimo!*is somehow in the TARDIS, wearing a tweed jacket, long-sleeved button down, dark pants, those shoes for which I have no name, and a bowtie**flips various switches and levers with glee* *the TARDIS dematerialises out of Blogland with that warping sound it makes*

*mock astonishment*My dear Tripstaff, don't you know you should never ask a woman her age?*chuckles*No, no, I understand. I am two hundred and twenty-three years of age, give or take a few months. Yourself?

*shrugs*Drinking makes one forget, Trippendale, and I forgot long ago. Asking one how long the've been drinking is like asking one to recall when they first got amnesia.But it doesn't matter how long I've been drinking, eh? All that matters is how long I continue to drink.

Yes, I suppose you're right. My tolerance is shameful, considering how long I've been drinking. But it's your fault.*pokes a finger at Trip*You ought not to have brought me whiskey in the first place, if you didn't want to see me drunk.*hic*

Oh lord...okay it was last November, and we had a Halloween party and I asked and Derek said sure. K you have to understand, Derek's hilaious. I'm short so we all stood up and he just goes; Wow yo really are short. Then he was teasing us about a cat who we saw walk down the hall, he picked up a mask or something and cuddled it and i had a Webkinz kitty that tried to eat him. -Zaffy

Yeah, I tweeted like a week before and typical Derek lol, he decided to add me on Skype the day of. Here I am in history class tweeting him, then math class trying to figure out what he was saying. Then I think he was supposed to call at like 7, he called at 8 because he didn't think I told him our time difference xD I had the iPad and middle of dessert: DEREK IS CALLING, we legit ran into the living room so fast while answering oh gods that was funny.-Zaf

So I am in love with Ravel so Derek decides to have story time with us.

Zaf and Ravel were married for 30 years, we had 16 adopted children and Celine, one of the girls with us, and a cat that turned into a sheep. Then one day Zaf did something bad really really bad...she cheated on Ravel with Crux, so they had a divorce. And that's the story.

I can still hear him saying that. We yelled at him for LSODM too a bit. Well V threatened to kill him...omg...-Zaf

(I am currently working on writing a fan fiction. I, personally, do not like fan fiction at all, but this one was just crying out to be written. It is a quick little tale about Gordon Edgely reading his favorite niece a most disturbing little bedtime story, written by himself, of course.)

Well, you're very useful to me, Adra. Alastair cares about you, therefore you will be perfect to use against him. I can make this easy, or hard. Let me take you, and I will leave you unscathed until necessary, or I hurt you and force you to come with me.

*lets it hit his hand instead* *can't seem to come by any words, deciding to send agony into her mind instead* *turns to face Adra, faltering at the sight of her* *wraps his arms gently around her, dematerializing them both to pull her out of the chains*

*holds Adra closely, and vanishes with her, leaving the Asgardians to fret over each other whilst making poor, ill founded assumptions and decisions* *has never felt more murderous as he leaves them behind*

*it takes him a moment to process that the danger has passed, and once he does, he all but forgets the Asgardians entirely* *brushes Adra's hair gently out of her face, pouring energy into healing her* *opens his mouth to speak, and chokes on a sob, burying his face in her shoulder*

You did nothing against them the last time you came here. You easily could have. The fact that you've let Loki galavant about for weeks here in and of itself suggests that you really don't care about this realm, or that you're simply pathetically incompetent at protecting it. In either case, your word that you mean to defend this place is remarkably unconvincing.

*Shivers again, and carefully reaches out for a blanket, feeling along the couch for one* *Her fingers brush the edge, but she can't quite pull it down from her angle* *Settles against him again, giving up*

*Hot, salty tears squeeze from her eyes to dampen his shirt* *She feels terrible, and doesn't understand why she is the one who has to pay the price for the squabble* *As if she hasn't been through enough Hell..*.

*Wants to die, so that she doesn't have to deal with human nature and emotions**But she knows that that isn't an option*

Viv's dad: you let me down son. I can't trust you. Not that I ever could you pampered brat. Your mother was right. We should have never let you return to us after your failure.

*stands up, trembling*You know what? I've made my own life since then. I have my own house, and friends, swords and a girl.

Viv's dad: oh yes, the blood-sucking fiend. I've heard all about her. Do you know how many men she's gone through just since you've known her? Much less before. She's playing you because you don't know what love is. One day you'll lean in for a kiss and have your throat ripped out. And I'll just stand there. Laugjing. You are a meal to her, at best a pet.

Blogger Elleni's Jazz Hands said...If you could Skype me then to see my friends, and hopefully Fabi and Dugg, that'd be great.

Yes!!!!!!!! I have to meet you two!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how or where but some time! Some time....

Sorry I wasn't on earlier I had had a busy day and will have a busy week! Silente, I love your idea for the role play! I just need to think of something and find time to be on for a while....Also, how be's yous?!?!How be's yous eyes?!?!

*wakes up as the sun rises in her version of blogland curled up into someone else's warmth**smiles sleepily and curls in closer**stiffens as memories of yesterday flood her brain**scrambles away quickly from Viv eyes wide*Viv: *smiles* Hey Sil *holds his arm out for her to curl back up**stares at him looking for any sign of a remant*Viv: *had sucked his black veins in hours ago* Come on Sil*slowly steps towards him*Was it a dream?Viv: was what a dream?

You...and the others.*looks at the mouth of the cave*Viv: You had a bad dream love. Come back.*shakes her head*Viv: *stands up* *holds his arms wide**steps back*Viv: Sil? Dont you love me no more?Viv...*has tears in her eyes*Viv: Fine. *pulls out a gun and starts shooting at her**shrieks and dodges most of them crying out at the ones that hit* *stumbles backwards and runs away*(gtg)

*is alone in his old cell, the way it was after Frigga died* *sits by the glass simply reading*

Zanida: No...*collapses against a wall waiting for death*

*picks up the sceptre* Idiots didn't take that. *fires sceptre at the glass, and gets out* Zan....*walks down the rows of cells looking for Zanida, just as the alarms go off* Great. Zanida if you can hear me...

Zanida: Loki? Where are you?

*follows her voice and fires sceptre at the glass* Come on, we're going to have a fight to get out alive.

Zanida: *nods drawing her lance*

*guards enter the dungeons, and the two lone Asgardians are faced with the fight, out numbered*

Zanida: *summons a flame, knocking half the guards out and goes to attack more*

*fires sceptre at most of the guards coming at him, killing them*

Zanida: *lets out a scream as a sword embeds itself in her side*

*kneels beside Zanida* You are not dying.

Zanida: No...not...today...*makes ice cover the wound*

*stands and sees the guard who stabbed her* *sends four daggers at him, two embed themselves in each eye* *grabs him by the throat, and cuts out the guards throat* Anyone else like to annoy me today? *the two living guards back away* Good. *grabs Zanida and appears by the Bifrost* We're almost there....*looks at Heimdall* Midgard.

Heimdall: *opens the Bifrost*

*the two Asgardians go through, and they find themselves back in reality, in Blogland*

*wakes up**metal heavy around her feet**bickering voices near by*Viv: Just strip her of her magic!Matex: Why? We can't stop her speed or strength. You know that. Kill her.Viv: But I want her to see the world we create. She'll hate it. It will be splendid.Matex: That's too much hassle. Just get it over with.Viv: Who are you to call the shots?!Matex: Do it or I will. The boss says he wants her dead. So make her dead.*opens her eyes and looks up*